Freeze-thaw cycles may result in frost heaves or frost boils, both of which damage roads and other infrastructure, such as buried utility lines.
A frost boil is caused by capillary action of water during freeze-thaw cycles. The capillary action draws dirt long with the water, creating a subsurface cavity which undermines and leads to damage and ultimately the collapse of a road.
A frost heave is caused by absorbent soils. Soils, such as bentonite clay, are capable of absorbing large amounts of water. As the water freezes it expands, pushing the soil underlying a road upwardly and damaging the road.
When conditions exist which lead to frost boils or frost heaves, the frost boils or frost heaves reoccur until a solution is found. Methods currently used to address damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles only repair the damage and do not prevent a reoccurrence of the problem.